Cost of living by city

These are Regional Price Parities from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024 BEA Regional Price Parities): how far a dollar goes in each metro, with the national average fixed at 100. Not a survey basket, not our own index.

Quick answer

Among the 94 metros covered, San Francisco is the most expensive at 115.6 (15.6% above the national average) and Charleston the cheapest at 88.7. Housing is the component that separates them most.

All-items and component price levels

100 = national average. Sorted by all-items price level.

City	All items	Housing	Goods	Services
San Francisco, CA	115.6	194.7	108.5	106.2
Oakland, CA	115.6	194.7	108.5	106.2
Miami, FL	114.2	155.6	103.6	109.1
Los Angeles, CA	113.6	170.4	106.6	104.4
Long Beach, CA	113.6	170.4	106.6	104.4
Anaheim, CA	113.6	170.4	106.6	104.4
New York City, NY	112.6	148.6	110.3	105.8
Newark, NJ	112.6	148.6	110.3	105.8
Jersey City, NJ	112.6	148.6	110.3	105.8
San Diego, CA	111.9	179.3	108.0	99.6
Seattle, WA	111.1	151.3	104.0	106.8
Honolulu, HI	111.0	135.5	111.6	102.9
San Jose, CA	110.4	211.9	105.2	100.3
Boston, MA	108.3	148.4	99.7	103.6
Bridgeport, CT	106.9	150.5	97.3	102.7
Sacramento, CA	106.7	130.2	105.2	100.3
Riverside, CA	106.4	129.3	101.4	101.3
Denver, CO	105.8	146.9	101.0	99.4
Aurora, CO	105.8	146.9	101.0	99.4
Manchester, NH	105.7	134.2	97.7	103.7
Portland, OR	105.4	125.1	105.2	100.1
Anchorage, AK	105.4	109.9	107.3	103.3
Minneapolis, MN	104.8	111.8	103.1	104.4
St. Paul, MN	104.8	111.8	103.1	104.4
Baltimore, MD	104.5	118.2	102.4	101.5
Chicago, IL	103.6	112.0	107.3	100.5
Phoenix, AZ	103.3	121.2	95.0	104.0
Mesa, AZ	103.3	121.2	95.0	104.0
Chandler, AZ	103.3	121.2	95.0	104.0
Dallas, TX	103.1	117.9	102.8	99.7
Fort Worth, TX	103.1	117.9	102.8	99.7
Arlington, TX	103.1	117.9	102.8	99.7
Hartford, CT	102.7	110.2	97.3	102.7
Philadelphia, PA	102.6	113.1	96.8	103.1
Wilmington, DE	102.6	113.1	96.8	103.1
Juneau, AK	102.4	93.8	106.3	102.2
Fresno, CA	102.2	95.7	105.2	100.3
Portland, ME	101.9	105.2	97.2	103.2
Providence, RI	101.8	103.9	97.1	102.3
Orlando, FL	101.4	123.4	96.2	98.9
Reno, NV	101.0	123.5	96.3	98.7
Charleston, SC	101.0	119.8	96.3	98.3
Burlington, VT	100.9	103.8	97.3	101.6
Tampa, FL	100.9	125.8	95.5	97.6
St. Petersburg, FL	100.9	125.8	95.5	97.6
Bakersfield, CA	100.9	90.3	105.2	100.3
Salt Lake City, UT	100.9	123.3	96.4	99.0
Colorado Springs, CO	100.7	116.2	96.1	99.8
Spokane, WA	100.3	97.1	105.0	99.5
Detroit, MI	100.3	94.7	98.8	102.6
Las Vegas, NV	100.2	115.5	96.3	98.7
Henderson, NV	100.2	115.5	96.3	98.7
Atlanta, GA	100.1	111.0	100.4	96.7
Jacksonville, FL	99.5	109.8	96.2	98.9
Houston, TX	98.6	104.5	100.6	95.6
Boise, ID	98.4	105.6	96.2	99.0
Raleigh, NC	98.2	103.5	96.6	98.2
Austin, TX	98.1	120.4	93.8	96.2
Virginia Beach, VA	97.9	99.8	96.8	98.6
Richmond, VA	97.9	99.1	96.8	98.6
Charlotte, NC	97.3	97.6	96.6	98.2
Milwaukee, WI	96.9	97.1	93.8	99.4
Tucson, AZ	96.9	91.8	96.2	99.8
Cheyenne, WY	96.5	89.8	95.4	100.4
Nashville, TN	96.3	104.6	96.2	95.1
Indianapolis, IN	95.7	88.9	94.3	99.1
Albuquerque, NM	95.5	89.2	96.1	98.5
Columbus, OH	95.5	87.9	93.6	98.9
Cincinnati, OH	95.4	87.6	93.8	99.0
San Antonio, TX	94.7	94.6	93.8	96.2
Pittsburgh, PA	94.7	72.0	100.7	97.7
Cleveland, OH	93.9	79.4	93.6	98.9
Billings, MT	93.5	77.4	96.0	98.7
Louisville, KY	93.1	78.6	96.2	96.8
Greensboro, NC	92.9	74.5	96.6	98.2
New Orleans, LA	92.6	86.0	93.7	95.7
Knoxville, TN	92.6	82.8	96.2	95.1
Kansas City, MO	92.5	86.6	94.1	93.4
Memphis, TN	92.2	79.8	96.2	95.4
Omaha, NE	91.9	86.4	94.1	93.0
Des Moines, IA	91.7	84.7	93.7	92.9
Birmingham, AL	91.6	71.9	96.4	96.7
Chattanooga, TN	91.5	76.5	96.0	95.3
Toledo, OH	91.5	67.3	93.6	98.9
Fargo, ND	90.9	81.1	95.7	91.3
Baton Rouge, LA	90.8	74.2	93.7	95.7
Sioux Falls, SD	90.6	77.6	95.5	91.9
Oklahoma City, OK	90.4	73.9	93.8	95.5
El Paso, TX	89.9	71.2	93.8	96.2
Little Rock, AR	89.4	68.3	93.6	95.3
Tulsa, OK	89.2	68.2	93.8	95.5
Jackson, MS	89.0	64.8	96.2	96.1
Wichita, KS	88.9	66.2	94.0	93.8
Charleston, WV	88.7	51.4	96.3	99.8

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities

Moving between two of these? The salary-needed calculator converts a paycheck from one metro to another using these same parities.